Review: Introducing Agatha Raisin The Quiche of Death/The Vicious Vet

Introducing Agatha Raisin The Quiche of Death/The Vicious Vet by M.C. Beaton
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I thoroughly enjoyed the first two books in the lengthy Agatha Raisin series. Agatha is in her 50's and after selling her public relations firm, she moves to a small cottage in the Cotswolds where she attempts to fit into village life. Agatha has very few social skills and a somewhat abrasive personality, and in the first book, The Quiche of Death, she almost torpedoes her hopes of joining village society when she passes off a storebought quiche as one of her own in a cooking competition. When the judge dies after eating piece of it, she's sure she's doomed. However, with the help of the vicar's wife she begins to redeem herself, and she manages to make friends with the detective investigating the untimely death as she "helps" him solve it. The second book sees Agatha honing her detective skills as well as developing an uneasy relationship with the bachelor next door as they investigate the death of a disliked veterinarian. These are light, easy, and humorous books, and I plan to continue reading the series.

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Review: Aunt Dimity and the Buried Treasure

Aunt Dimity and the Buried Treasure by Nancy Atherton
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

A lovely cozy read as are all the Aunty Dimity books. No murder, no sex, no great drama or trauma. Just a good story and slice of life in an English village.

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Review: The Girls in the Garden

The Girls in the Garden by Lisa Jewell
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I liked everything about this book except the ending. I thought it was rushed and a let down. Pip and her sister Grace have just moved with their mother to a small community centered around a communal park. Their father is in a psychiatric hospital after he attempted to burn their former home down and the family is dealing with the aftereffects of that. Grace seems to make new friends quickly leaving Pip feeling lonely and abandoned. Grace quickly finds her first boyfriend, and at 13, she's drawn into all the drama of adolescence. After a neighborhood party, Grace is attacked. The attack is similar to one that occurred many years earlier where a young girl died, which puts the entire community on edge. A lot of the story is told from Pip's perspective and through her letters to her father, and the book is divided into a timeline --- the discovery of Grace's body, before the attack, and then an after section, ending with an epilogue. As the investigation into the attack unfolds, all sorts of neighborhood secrets are uncovered, with many potential threads revealed that might explain both the previous murder and the current situation. But, as mentioned earlier, the explanation is somewhat of a letdown.

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Review: State of Wonder

State of Wonder by Ann Patchett
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I am not sure how to rate and review this book. I didn't love it, but it was an absorbing read, and at times an uncomfortable read. Patchett's writing made the Amazonian jungle a real presence and almost a character in the book. I can't say that I liked any of the characters however, and I didn't 'get' the relationship between Marina and Mr. Fox. Why was she calling her lover Mr. Fox? And in reality, would a drug company allow a researcher so much independence and leeway in making progress reports? However, the questions raised - how much should a "first worlder" interfere with the lives of the Amazonian tribes? Where are the boundaries between research and business? Should the reproductive lives of first world women be extended? --were all compelling. The ending was a surprise, and I was left wondering about what happens next.

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Review: The Aloha Quilt

The Aloha Quilt by Jennifer Chiaverini
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I enjoyed this entry into the Elm Creek Quilt series. It's been a while since I'd read something in the series, but it didn't take long to remember the back stories, and I was grateful that the author didn't do too much rehashing -- just enough to jog my memory. And if you hadn't read the series, I think you could still enjoy the book. I especially liked the description of Hawaiian quilting. I am not a quilter, (I knit!) but I appreciate the craft, art, and creativity involved. A good cozy read for a summer afternoon.

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Review: Gunpowder Green

Gunpowder Green by Laura Childs
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

This is the second in a series of cozy mysteries set in Charleston, South Carolina. The protagonist is Theodosia Browning who owns a teashop and investigates mysterious deaths. The plot is a bit thin, but the characters are likable, and there are tasty-sounding recipes included. Good, light, escape reading.

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Review: Death of a Scriptwriter

Death of a Scriptwriter by M.C. Beaton
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Enjoyable as always. It was kind of nice to see Hamish much less dependent on Priscilla in this outing.

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Review: The Cavendon Women

The Cavendon Women by Barbara Taylor Bradford
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

Book in the series carries on the stories of the Ingrahams and Swanns through the 1920's. There was little suspense, rather a continuation of previously established storylines, and the predictable resolutions of some of those storylines. There was little new character development, and no surprises.

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Review: The Matchmaker

The Matchmaker by Elin Hilderbrand
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Elin Hilderbrand at her best --- if a tad cheesy. I liked all the characters I was supposed to like, and disliked the ones I was supposed to dislike. Her main character, Dabney, is definitely the strongest Nantucket cheerleader I've met in Hilderbrand's books. I thoroughly enjoyed this one, despite the predictability. Quintessential beach read for sure.

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Review: Boys in the Trees: A Memoir

Boys in the Trees: A Memoir by Carly Simon
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I grew up in the 60's and early 70's so I am extremely familiar with the music of Carly Simon and James Taylor, yet I really knew very little about either of them. So I didn't know what to expect out of this memoir when I picked it up at my library. I did not expect the overwhelming sense of sadness. Simon's memoir starts with her childhood, and it's clear that her father's depression, her mother's infidelity, and her own sexual abuse deeply scarred her. It also laid the groundwork for her struggles as an adult to find a sense of self-worth. I was also unaware of Taylor's heavy drug use (I lived a pretty sheltered life!) so it's not surprising that their marriage ended. I liked her honesty and her ability to recount unhappy and unflattering episodes in her life. There's a lot of unhappiness behind the "storybook" portrayals of celebrities and their relationships. I also liked how she described the origins of her songs and lyrics. I'd forgotten how deeply the songs are entrenched in the songtrack of my life! All in all, an interesting read.

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Review: The Royal Wulff Murders

The Royal Wulff Murders by Keith McCafferty
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

Sean Stranahan, painter, angler, and erstwhile private investigator, finds himself in the middle of a murder investigation when he meets a singer in a small Montana bar.
She hires him to find a particular fish and eventually, to find her brother. Sean discovers much more than he bargained for, including almost losing his life twice. Despite the fact that I am neither an angler nor even an outdoorsperson, I did appreciate the details about trout fishing and Montana's rivers. I also liked the characters, especially Sheriff Martha Ettinger, Harold Little Feather, and the protagonist. Like C.J. Box, the author is passionate about the environment, and I liked the way the plot revolved around the trout fishery and whirling disease. It was cleverly plotted too. However, I did find the pace of the book somewhat slow, and I had hard time reading more than one chapter at a time instead of chunks at a time, which is why I only gave it two stars.

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Still Feeling Trying - and Succeeding

I posted earlier that I was making a determined effort to walk, and to generally get more exercise into my life with the goal of feeling healthier.  My efforts began in earnest after a doctor's visit on June 1st.

Since June 1st I've lost 23 pounds, and 2 inches around my waist.  I have been successful in limiting my calories to around 1500 per day, I've been keeping my carb count where I should be (120-130 g per day), and I've been exercising.  I was worried about the 4 week pool closure, but I took up walking, and have worked up to walking 2 miles at a time several times per week.  Now that the pool re-opened this week, I plan to go to water aerobics 3x per week and walk at least twice a week.  I'm really aiming to get at least 150 min of heart-healthy exercise each week, and so far, I'm achieving that most weeks.

I do feel better, although I'm still working on building my stamina.  I can do hills more easily, but I still prefer to avoid them.  And I still feel pretty drained when I return from my walks.  We have just entered an extremely hot and humid spell of weather, and I just couldn't face the soupy air this morning.  I went out on my deck at 5:30am, before the sun even had risen, and the air was so thick I found it hard to breath.  So instead of heading out for a walk, I headed to Youtube and found an aerobic walking video.  I moved some of the office furniture out of the way and did the video instead.  If I can find some time later, I might head up to the pool too, to do some aerobics on my own.

Review: My Brilliant Friend

My Brilliant Friend by Elena Ferrante
My rating: 1 of 5 stars

I just could not finish this book. I have way too many more books on my TBR shelf that I do want to read. I didn't connect to the narrator or to Lila, nor did I really see a plot line. Not sure what all the fuss is about. It's disappointing when highly recommended books, or books that many people rave about just don't jive with me. And I have a tough time giving up on a book, but when I am spending my reading time wondering how many more pages till the chapter ends, or worse, stopping a reading session in the middle of a chapter because it's just not holding my attention, AND I've read 2/3 of it, it's time to throw in the towel.

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Review: Me Before You

Me Before You by Jojo Moyes
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I liked this book much more than I expected too! It's a romance with a twist, and it certainly challenged me in terms of a big decision made by one of the protagonists. I found the characters quite likable, and while I didn't like how the book ended, it wouldn't have been so successful if it had ended the way most people (myself included) might have wanted. I haven't yet seen the movie based on the book so I don't know if the movie ended in the same manner. I think that I will look for other books by this author.

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Review: Cavendon Hall

Cavendon Hall by Barbara Taylor Bradford
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I've always enjoyed Barbara Taylor Bradford's books, and this one is no exception. Cavendon Hall in Yorkshire, is the home of two families: the "upstairs" Ingrahams and the "downstairs" Swanns. The two families have been intertwined for over 150 years, each family keeping the others' secrets. In fact the two families have a common oath "Loyalty Binds" which is taken by all members of the two families. The plot in this first book of a series centers on the years just before and just after World War I, and in particular tells the story of Lady Daphne Ingraham and the terrible secret that she carries. Many characters are introduced - Daphne's siblings, her suitor, her parents, and Walter, Alicia, Charlotte, and Cecilie Swann. It's an idyllic existence until a terrible event changes Daphne's life. I liked the families, even if it's all a little too perfect. Of course, since this is the beginning of a "sweeping family saga" many threads are woven into the story upon which succeeding books will elaborate. At times the story felt forced and rushed, but I did really enjoy it.

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Review: Death of a Dentist

Death of a Dentist by M.C. Beaton
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I really enjoyed this installment! Hamish has a toothache which leads him in desperation to a hated dentist - who happens to be dead when Hamish arrives. As usual, Hamish solves the crime despite the obstacles his supervisor throws in his path, and as usual, Hamish allows another detective to take credit for the solution. As Hamish says, he's a thoroughly unambitious man. He knows himself well and understands that he's where he wants to be.

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Review: Folly: A British murder mystery set in the Cotswolds

Folly: A British murder mystery set in the Cotswolds by Stella Cameron
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Alex Duggins has returned to her home village after the disaster of her marriage and a breakdown. She's the new owner of the pub where her mother has worked for years and she's kept the former owners on as managers. On her way to the pub one morning she discovers the body of a murdered man in the woods. The tragedy sets off a chain of events which eventually results in a long-held village secret being uncovered, putting several people at serious risk.

I liked the book but felt that it was a bit too rushed in the story telling. It was hard to feel very connected to most of the characters and the plot needed to be fleshed out a bit more. But it did keep my attention, and I thought the author did a good job creating the setting.

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Review: Bay of Sighs

Bay of Sighs by Nora Roberts
My rating: 1 of 5 stars

The only reason this book wasn't abandoned is that it was all I had while I was on a short trip. It was easily one of the most boring books I've read. It's book #2 in its series, and the entire plot can be summed up as "A mermaid, a seer, and a lycan (werewolf) team up with a time traveler, a wizard, and an immortal to find the second missing star before an evil witch finds it or kills them." The rest of the book is a summary of book #1 and pages of "romance novel" sex.

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